Throughout the entirety of preseason camp and the early portion of the regular season, the offensive line for the Auburn Tigers has been talked about a bit, as the rotation of the starting five is not yet certified heading into a game against Vanderbilt.
On Saturday against Florida, the line gave up seven sacks as a whole, and Auburn is currently at the top in the nation in sacks allowed.
A place that has seen a lot of rotation early in the year is at each of the guard spots, but specifically at left guard. Oregon State transfer Jacob Strand got the start at the position in the Baylor game, but another face has begun to see a considerable amount of time on the field.
Freshman Wilson Zierer has played in all three games for the Tigers in 2026, and earned the starting role in the loss to the Gators.
In the eyes of Offensive Coordinator Joel Gordon, while the offensive line did not have the greatest game on Saturday, he still touted Zierer as having great potential.
“There's probably not anybody chomping at the bit quite yet that's as young as Wilson,” Gordon said. “Man, young pup out there on primetime. He was just inconsistent. Long story short, he was inconsistent, which you would expect to some degree. There were some times where you can see he's gonna be a really good player. Like man, the sky's the limit for him. He's gonna be a stud. There are some times where, just makes a mistake and all of a sudden it's a critical error.”
Zierer has caught the eye of a bunch of his teammates along the front, including center Cole Best, who he plays directly next to when he is on the field.
Best has said that when the freshman gets out in the action, everybody knows what they are going to get in terms of his mindset.
“One thing about Wilson is I can trust him,” Best said. “I know he's going to go out there, and I know he's gonna give everything he's got. He's gonna play super hard. He's gonna play his butt off. He really, really prides himself on his IQ and knowing what he's doing.”
Having played high school ball in Rabun Gap, Georgia, Zierer comes in standing 6-foot-6, 315 pounds.
His mentality has stood even taller though, as he has been looked at as a player that is always seeking to get better and work, no matter when it is.
“The way he's put his head down and worked—the biggest thing I'm proud of is how, when it hasn't gone his way, he hasn't gotten emotional,” Best said. “He hasn't gotten down in his feelings. It's like, 'What do I need to do to fix it?' He's asking me, he's asking Coach. He's grabbed the iPad during the game. 'What do I need to do to fix it?' For him, it's next play mentality, which is something I'm really proud of with him.”
It is what has allowed him to build such a rapport with the rest of the line, but at the end of the day, he will have to continue to step up when his name is called on.
Nevertheless, those close to the team think he is destined to be a solid option even after 2026.
“He is really young, but you know what you're gonna get with Wilson,” Gordon said. “He's the same guy every single day. We've got to keep growing, like if he's turned into one of the best five guys right now, he's gonna have to keep going and become a guy that we can rely on and get better every single week. He's gonna turn into one of our better players without a doubt.”
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
